V1 Basic Technique Video in slowmo

Rambo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTHG14GYyOA

Higher Quality on vimeo http://rambos-locker.blogspot.com/2010/01/v1-technique-by-lemmy-slowmo…
Lemmy Lambert is the co-builder and designer of the Va'a Factory V1 and V6 in Tahiti. An accomplished paddler himself, Lemmy and his team, Taaroa Dubois, Roland Teahui, Steeve Teihotaata and Heialanin Vairaaroa won the Te Aito, Super Aito 2009 V1 races, they also manufacture the V6 for Top Tahitian Teams.

Lemmy was just recently in Australia as coach of a V1 Clinic organized by Erica Hamp, Tracy Horan, the South Queensland Zone AOCRA Committee and Mark Kennedy (Va'a Factory Franchisee in Aust ZuluSurf http://www.zulusurf.net/vaa.html) I had the pleasure of spending time with Lemmy at the 2 day Clinic and filming him demonstrating basic V1 Technique. The video above is part of that Clinic.
Cheers Rambo

Submitted by Rambo on Wed, 01/13/2010 - 12:29am

catdailey

Beautiful video :> Beautiful paddling ;>

#1 Wed, 01/13/2010 - 2:40am

marianolarghi

mahalossssssssss!

#2 Wed, 01/13/2010 - 2:44am

Shamu

Rambo, you the man. This is the best video ever! Thank you so much....

#3 Wed, 01/13/2010 - 6:26am

drewp

SWEEET Video! I have a question though. I was watching the stroke intensely..looking for the "J-stroke" which I understand that one uses on rudderless va'a. Was Lemmy doing it? I tried rudderless va'a in Fiji and kind of understood that w/ the j-stroke, you almost pull or push under the canoe at the end of the stroke to keep yourself tracking straight. I couldn't do it very well and found myself just switching sides a lot more than usual.

#4 Wed, 01/13/2010 - 7:02am

kamamakakaua

very nicely done! I noticed the 'ama is definitely got much less drag as he is paddling on the right, Seems really balanced. Looked awesome watching in slow motion. Mahalo fo dat!

#5 Wed, 01/13/2010 - 7:36am

Rambo

This was a basic technique clinic so what you see is basic. What Lemmy was trying to teach was that the propulsion of the V1 is at the front of the stroke and the maneuvering of the Va'a at the rear. On Oc1 we are taught to exit clean, on a V1, Lemmy was showing us how to twist the blade at the end of the stroke before exit if the Va'a needed correction. You can see him doing that if you look closely. All strokes are taken with the paddle perpendicular, even the ones out wide.
Advanced technique will come in the follow up Clinics.
FYI, Lemmy was using a straight shaft paddle instead of his normal double bend when we did the video, he said this affected his stroke slightly.
Cheers Rambo

#6 Wed, 01/13/2010 - 11:09am

kamamakakaua

I actually had notice that wrist action going on when he paddled on the right side from the back view at around the 1:12 point of video. nice video and great quality

#7 Wed, 01/13/2010 - 11:14am

anowara

drewp said:

w/ the j-stroke, you almost pull or push under the canoe at the end of the stroke to keep yourself tracking straight.

The j-stroke finishes with a push away from the boat at the end of the stroke. Pulling under would cause the boat to turn more to the off paddle side.
From my experience, j-strokes in a V-1 are subtlety different than for a canoe (i.e. without an ama). I've never see much of a rotation with the top hand in any of the videos until the paddle is out of the water and into the recovery, which is the technique taught for a j-stroke in a canoe. The concept is the same, but the execution is different since the V-1 will track much straighter. Lots of small corrections are much better than one big one, same as for steering a six man. It seems like most of the paddle control comes from the bottom hand to provide steering.

#8 Wed, 01/13/2010 - 4:28pm

Rambo

That's exactly what Lemmy said, the bottom hand controls the steering at the rear of the stroke and the corrections are subtle, that's why you have to look closely at the video. He also said it's important to maintain speed even if the Va'a is running off course, without speed the va'a won't turn or respond to the blade, again similar to steering a 6man.
I found most 6 man steerer's adapted immediately to the basic V1 technique steering wise.
If you push water under the Va'a you will most likely huli.
Rambo

#9 Wed, 01/13/2010 - 5:01pm

Kona J

Rambo,
Can you give us an update on the video rig and software you are using? The quality is great.

#10 Wed, 01/13/2010 - 6:04pm

Rambo

I would love to KonaJ, i hope you understand, but i have been putting a lot of time and money into R and D to produce videos specifically for Ocean Sports and as it is now my full time and only job, i have to retain some things. It's not any one thing, it is a combination of equipment, technique, software and many hundreds of hours of practice. The other guys here that regularly shoot and post videos will know what i mean. Thank you for the compliment on the quality, but for me the content is what makes the video.
Cheers Rambo

#11 Wed, 01/13/2010 - 6:44pm

anowara

Rambo, has any thought been given to turning these clinics into a more full-fledged production for sale? I imagine you would find a good market for them and could probably wind up selling it as downloadable content instead of pressing DVDs.
Great video by the way and looking forward to more from the future clinics.

#12 Thu, 01/14/2010 - 7:19am

Rambo

Yes anowara, have some projects like that in the pipeline and talking to the right people. Thanks for the compliment.

#13 Thu, 01/14/2010 - 8:44am

anowara

Awesome. Looking forward to seeing the various projects when they come out. Keep the great videos coming.

#14 Thu, 01/14/2010 - 10:44am

Rambo,
How tall is Lemmy Lambert?
I am trying to get perspective.

#15 Thu, 01/14/2010 - 10:55am

Shamu

Rambo,
Could you please share the soundtrack for the Lemmy video? Who is that?
Mahalo

#16 Fri, 01/15/2010 - 4:40pm

King of Kailua

Great video Rambo, mahalo for the post!
What do you think the differences in form would have been based on paddle choice? Do you suppose if Lemmy had been using his DB, his top hand might not have been as high over his head?

#17 Fri, 01/15/2010 - 7:14pm

Rambo

Sorry guys been away in Perth "Doctor Race"
JJ, Lemmy would be 5' 7"
King, not sure about that, would have to ask Lemmy. Just thought I'd mention it because it would effect his stroke in some way just like any unfamiliar paddle would, but probably not enough to be noticeable. Possibly his reach may have been effected, but i doubt the height above head, he teaches that specifically.
Ramboscie

#18 Mon, 01/18/2010 - 3:21pm

paddle_easy

5'7" ... he must have some long arms...i thought for sure he was at least 5'11" - 6'..
Did he mention anything about difference in V1 and V6 strokes ?

#19 Mon, 01/18/2010 - 8:10pm

Rambo

Nothing about V6, but obviously is different, as only propulsion strokes are taken in the V6 unless you are a steerer.
Lemmy was my height. In the picture below Lemmy is the one with the less hair ...sorry Lemmy

#20 Mon, 01/18/2010 - 9:25pm

anowara

Does Lemmy coach any of the Va'a Factory team paddlers?

#21 Wed, 01/20/2010 - 11:56am

Rambo

They are a Team, just like a Formula1 car Team. I would imagine they would have many coaches, advisers and partners. I don't know whether Lemmy is THE coach, i'm not privy to that information. Sorry.

#22 Wed, 01/20/2010 - 3:44pm

Kapono Ciotti

Interview with Lemmy and Roro of Va'a Factory courtesy of VaaTahiti.com:
http://www.maoliwaa.com/Maoli_Waa/Maoli_Waa_International_Paddling_Scen…

#23 Thu, 01/21/2010 - 8:34am

Rambo

Thanks Kapono, that should help explain the connection better.
Cheers Rambo

#24 Thu, 01/21/2010 - 11:37am

GonePaddlin

Rambo,
Top shelf; really. Not just in the mechanics of the stroke by Lemmy, but the angles and style it was filmed. Right where an experienced paddler wants to see. You're nailing it; hope that it pays the bills so that you may continue on. Cheers.

#25 Thu, 01/21/2010 - 4:02pm

Rambo

Actually part of the clinic was to video all 27 of the attendee's the same as Lemmy from all angles. The 27 videos were put online for the paddlers to view and for Lemmy or other coaches to give followup stroke correction advice. All the videos can be seem here in lower Quality and real time. http://v1clinic.blip.tv
Click on Episodes and you can see all the 27 clinic paddlers videos.
Each person is a thumbnail on the right hand menu numbering 1 - 27
I guess they are mainly of use to the actual person in the video to compare with Lemmy and visualize what their faults are.
Rambo

#26 Wed, 02/09/2011 - 2:17pm

Kapono Ciotti

Rambo... awesome as always.

#27 Thu, 01/21/2010 - 9:22pm

fluidpaddler

Rambo,
What is the surface area on the blade he is using, I also noticed it is more squared off @ the bottom. Better for steering corrections?

#28 Tue, 02/08/2011 - 9:05am

mauitim

can you add the reg speed clip as well?

#29 Tue, 02/08/2011 - 9:33am

Rambo

Fluidpaddler. Lemmy was using a borrowed straight shaft paddle instead of his normal double bend when we did the video, he said this affected his stroke slightly, so possibly his normal blade shape is different.
Tim, not sure i have the original clips anymore. Just play it sped up x2 or x2.5

#30 Tue, 02/08/2011 - 11:36am

Kileki

This is a great video! He definitely makes it look easy

#31 Wed, 02/09/2011 - 12:37pm

Nathan Day

To the chain of mahalos here, I'd like to add more thanks because this video demonstrates upper body form so clearly -- both in the visuals and in the captions. Different clubs will use different strokes, but I can see the fundamentals illustrated in the first 3 minutes of the video being very useful for helping novices develop good basic stroke form, no matter their club or coach. This may be a big help for those of us who work with first-year novices without motor launches or video equipment. I'm bookmarking it.
So again, thanks Rambo, and I hope we get to see you on the east coast of the USA again soon.
cheers,
Nate

#32 Wed, 02/09/2011 - 4:14pm

Rambo

Nathan, If you need a better quality format to download and keep as a permanent file on a PC or DVD just let me know and i can make it available to download. Video is also here on Vimeo if youtube goes down. http://vimeo.com/8710056
Cheers Rambo

#33 Wed, 02/09/2011 - 4:49pm